Indeterminate Saxon

e wifman, se hire cild afedan ne mæg, gange to gewitenes
mannes birgenne and stæppe þonne þriwa ofer þa byrgenne
and cweþe þonne þriwa þas word:
þis me to bote þære laþan lætbyrde,

his me to bote þære swæran swærbyrde,
þis me to bote þære laðan lambyrde.
And þonne þæt wif seo mid bearne and heo to hyre hlaforde
on reste ga, þonne cweþe heo:
Up ic gonge, ofer þe stæppe

id cwican cilde, nalæs mid cwellendum,
mid fulborenum, nalæs mid fægan.
And þonne seo modor gefele þæt þæt bearn si cwic, ga
þonne to cyrican, and þonne heo toforan þan weofode cume,
cweþe þonne:

riste, ic sæde, þis gecyþed!
Se wifmon, se hyre bearn afedan ne mæge, genime heo
sylf hyre agenes cildes gebyrgenne dæl, wry æfter þonne on
blace wulle and bebicge to cepemannum and cweþe þonne:
Ic hit bebicge, ge hit bebicgan,

has sweartan wulle and þysse sorge corn.
Se wifman, se ne mæge bearn afedan, nime þonne anes
bleos cu meoluc on hyre handæ and gesupe þonne mid hyre
muþe and gange þonne to yrnendum wætere and spiwe þær
in þa meolc and hlade þonne mid þære ylcan hand þæs

æteres muð fulne and forswelge. Cweþe þonne þas word:
Gehwer ferde ic me þone mæran maga þihtan,
mid þysse mæran mete þihtan;
þonne ic me wille habban and ham gan.
þonne heo to þan broce ga, þonne ne beseo heo, no ne eft

honne heo þanan ga, and þonne ga heo in oþer hus oþer heo
ut ofeode and þær gebyrge metes.

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he woman who cannot bring her child to term must go to a dead man’s grave, step three times over the grave and say these words three times:

his as my help against the evil late birth,
This as my help against the grievous dismal birth,
This as my help against the evil lame birth.

nd when that woman is with child and she goes to bed with her lord, then she must say:

p I go, I step over you
With a live child, not with a dying one,
With a full-born child, not with a doomed one.

nd when the mother feels that the child is alive, she must go to church, and when she comes in front of the altar, then she must say:

hrist, I said, make this known!

he woman who cannot bring her child to term must take part of the grave of her own child, wrap it up in black wool and sell it to merchants. And then she must say:

sell it,
you must sell it,
This black wool and the seeds of this grief.

he woman who cannot bring her child to term must take the milk of a cow of one colour in her hand, sip a little, and then go to running water and spit the milk in it. And then with the same hand she must take a mouthful of water and swallow it. Let her then say these words:

carried this strong one with me everywhere,
Strong because of this great food;
Such a one I want to have and go home with.

hen she goes to the stream she must not look round, nor again when she goes away from there, and let her go into a house other than the one from which she started, and there take food.